


friends don't treat me like you do

by hippopotamus



Category: SKAM (TV)
Genre: Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-14
Updated: 2017-08-14
Packaged: 2018-12-15 11:16:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11804895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hippopotamus/pseuds/hippopotamus
Summary: Isak’s going to humiliate himself in front of Even’s friends because he has no idea how to be - pretend to be - in a relationship. What is Even expecting him to do? Hold his hand? Kiss him? Hold eye contact with him for more than two seconds?Isak can’t do any of that. And he also can’t sleep.





	friends don't treat me like you do

**Author's Note:**

> dis is for skam fic week and i only just finished it on time
> 
> it is unbetaed bc if i had to wait for someone to beta it it would be TOO LATE
> 
> enjoy!

Isak knows something is wrong the moment his roommate Even opens his mouth to say “Isak?”

Isak knows that tone of voice. The dragged out vowel, the way Even stands away from Isak as he speaks - as if he’s worried something will get thrown at him when he says the next sentence (which has yet to happen, but Isak has no doubt that with time, it will.)

“What did you do this time, Even?”

“Um, well,” Even sounds kind of hesitant, which means it _must_ be bad. Usually, Even is ready to laugh at his recent mistakes, and tell Isak everything in excruciating detail so they can laugh together. When he hesitates, it’s a different story. It means Isak is involved, and Isak _hates_ being involved. It means Even ate the last piece of cake, or accidentally smashed his favourite mug or -

“I told my coworker we were married.”

Or _that_. _What_?

“We - as in - _us?_ ”

“I mean,” Even says slowly. “Do you see any other ‘us’ around here?”

“Well, no,” Isak swallows, “But, you - we - _why_?”

“Because!” Even says, sounding very much as if he doesn't have a good excuse. “I was - well, she wouldn't shut up about her own husband, and how living with roommates is something that only people who are doomed to be single for the rest of their lives do, and I don't wanna be single for the rest of my life!”

“Well, then, move out,” Isak responds with his usual sarcasm.

“No!” Even says, sounding offended that Isak would suggest such a thing. “I don’t believe her. I just didn’t want her to think I was gonna be single for the rest of my life.”

Finally, Isak gets to roll his eyes, as he’s been waiting to do.

“Why are you telling me this?” he asks, unamused. “I mean, it’s not as though I need to be told that you’re an idiot. Let me know when you tell her the truth.”

“But,” Even says, and Isak feels his heart drop. “She’s coming over here on Friday.”

“I’m going out,” Isak says quickly.

“No, you’re not,” Even says.

“How do you know that?” Isak asks, incredulous. “What are - why is -” Isak can’t even form full sentences.

“Isak,” Even pleads. “I just need you to fake it for one evening. _Please_.”

*

This is the worst idea Even’s ever had. And the worst thing Isak’s ever agreed to.

It’s thursday evening and Isak is tossing and turning in bed, considering what exactly he’s got himself into.

Even bought him a ring. A _ring._ So yeah, it was a fake, cheap ring, but still. It’s kind of hurting Isak’s brain. They’re just _friends_.

Isak’s going to humiliate himself in front of Even’s friends because he has no idea how to be - _pretend_ to be - in a relationship. What is Even expecting him to do? Hold his hand? _Kiss_ him? _Hold eye contact with him for more than two seconds_?

Isak can’t do any of that. And he also can’t sleep.

He knows Even is still awake in the kitchen - he can hear him moving around. Maybe he’ll make Isak some of his special hot chocolate - like he has done when Isak can’t sleep at other times.

“Hey, Isak,” Even’s tired voice comes from behind his laptop as Isak pads into the kitchen. “Can’t sleep?”

Isak shakes his head as he slides into the seat opposite Even and sighs as he puts his head in his hands.

Conveniently, he feels more likely to fall asleep on this table than he was in his bed. At least, until he gets a hand running through his hair, ruffling it up, and he looks up and groans at Even’s cheeky grin.

He’s about to tell Even how much he dislikes him, but Even speaks first. “Hot chocolate?” he offers, and Isak smiles and nods.

Even pushes himself up off the table, and moves to the stove. As he moves around, he keeps talking to Isak, his calming voice almost lulling him off to sleep, if it weren’t for the subject that Even brings up.

“Why can’t you sleep?” he asks. “Is it about tomorrow?”

Isak makes a noncommittal noise, and Even turns around to look at him, considering him.

“You don’t have to do it,” he says after a while. “You can go out, I’ll tell them you couldn’t make it.”

Before he realises what he’s doing, Isak is shaking his head again. “I said I would,” he explains, while fighting a yawn.

He gets a fond smile from Even at that. “Just worried, then?”

That feels kind of embarrassing to admit, so he just shrugs instead.

“You can talk to me,” Even says, bringing over two mugs of hot chocolate and sitting back down, this time in the seat beside Isak. He pushes the mug towards Isak’s grateful hands, then reaches out to give his shoulder a comforting rub.

“I don’t know how to act married,” Isak confesses. “I mean, I’m just going to make a fool of myself.”

“You won’t,” Even reassures him, moving his arm to wrap around Isak’s shoulders and pull him in close. Isak moves willingly, like he has so many times before, to allow himself to be almost cradled by Even, leaning his head against Even’s shoulder and closing his eyes. “Anyway, we can be one of those couples that hates PDA, if you like.”

Isak pulls back to look at Even and raises an eyebrow. “You? Hate PDA? i thought you wanted this to be convincing?”

Even chuckles. “Yeah, okay. Maybe we can’t. But we don't have to, like, kiss or anything. If you’re not comfortable.”

Isak hates how his blush at hearing the word ‘kiss’ gives him away. Gives what away, he's not sure. It gives _something_ away, and Even is going to laugh at him, he knows it. He leans his head back into Even and shuts his eyes again, hoping that if he can’t see Even, then Even can’t see him.

“Or I could just kiss you on the cheek. Like once. Or something.”

Isak nods, trying not to give away any more _something_ s.

“We have to talk about this, Isak,” Even coaxes, tapping at his shoulder. “I can’t just spring it all on you tomorrow and kiss you if you don’t want me to.”

Isak groans and pulls away from Even. “I don’t like talking.”

Even flicks up his eyebrows. “I know that. It’s why you can never sleep.”

The huff Isak lets out at that is one of the longest and loudest in his life so far. He’s kind of proud of it, to be honest, especially after Even’s amused little smile, that he sees out of the corner of his eye as he takes a sip of his hot chocolate.

Just as he’s putting down his mug, Even’s little amused smile turns into a mischievous grin and he zooms towards Isak and kisses his cheek. The hot chocolate almost spills.

“See?” Even says. “Not so scary.”

The right thing to say seems to evade Isak for the next minute. He opens and closes his mouth but the only thing that comes out is huffs of annoyance and frustration. Even’s smile gradually fades, and he reaches out a gentle hand to Isak’s shoulder again.

“Sorry,” he says. “I didn’t - I shouldn’t have done that.”

“No, it’s fine,” Isak says, suddenly able to speak again, although nothing past those words. “It’s fine,” he repeats instead of saying anything else. Even pulls him back in for another hug.

“You need to stop thinking so loud,” Even smiles.

“Maybe you need to stop talking so loud.”

Even laughs. “I’ll stop talking if you start talking.”

“Just let me finish my hot chocolate and leave me alone,” Isak mumbles into Evens chest.

Even laughs again, softer this time. “We still need to work out how tomorrow will go, though.”

“Okay, Step 1: your friends will arrive,” Isak starts. “Step 2: they will realise you're a fucking liar.”

“Oh come on,” Even protests. “Have more faith in my acting skills.”

“I'm sure yours are fine,” retorts Isak. “I'm referring to mine, and also the fact that I have no idea how to ‘pretend to be married.’ I mean - how do happily married people even act? Because I grew up with the most miserable married couple in the world as parents,” Evens hand on Isak’s back starts to move up and down soothingly, but Isak doesn't draw attention to it, preferring to move away from that subject. “and I'm fairly sure you'd rather your coworker think you were in a _happy_ relationship.”

Finally, Isak pulls away again, sits back, and looks Even in the eyes.

“How do people in love _act,_ Even?”

Even looks at Isak for a moment before replying.

Well,” he starts, slowly, hesitating with every word, as if he’s suddenly nervous. “They, uh,” he shrugs, then seems to steel himself to continue talking. “I don't know - they kiss each other, I guess. And like… buy each other rings, and stuff… and they make each other hot chocolate, maybe. And like, comfort each other when they can’t sleep.” He looks down. “I mean, at a guess. I don’t know.”

_Oh._

“Oh.”

It takes while after that for Even to look up and meet his eyes. Isak supposes this is his fault, because he can’t work out the correct way to say what he feels. Even looks up once, then glances immediately back down, then back up again, holding his gaze for a couple of seconds this time before again looking away, and then beginning to stand.

“I should go to bed, it’s late,” he says, biting his lip slightly.

Isak does the only thing he can think to do, reaches out his hand to grasp at Even’s and pull him back down into the seat. He thinks he sees the flicker of a hopeful smile on Even’s face, but it’s quickly replaced with a wide-eyed nervous stare.

Words fail Isak again, but he keeps his tight hold on Even’s hand while he tries to bring the right words to the front of his mind so that he can speak and end the painful silence that has fallen over them.

“I-” nope, nothing. “Its-”

His mind goes at rapid speeds trying to find something to say. He gets there eventually.

“I think,” he finally says, smiling softly. “I mean - I don’t think you’re doomed to be single for the rest of your life.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> [tumblr](http://evenshands.tumblr.com)  
>  comments and kudos are super duper appreciated!!  
> love always xxx


End file.
